joey_big_nose

I think taking Holtby off was okay, but dropping Elliott into midfield doesn't work, he doesn't hold the shape.

Gah... Saw that coming...

I really think Bells the better player from what I've seen. Looks like we've run out of ideas here. Not sure the sub was the right one. Don't think Dolan has touched it once.

Think just Elliot has slotted into midfield.

Guess thinking is to make us more incisive on the counter.

Can't blame Holtby off. He's not had any space. Interesting to see what happens with Dolan.

If we played for a thousand years Armstrong's not coming off at 0-0. You don't take off your best source of goals by miles.

Just don't really think this is the sort of game for him, too tight and he gets closed down. Straight swap for Davenport will be just the ticket I think. Buckley would be okay too.

Theyre committing a shed load of players forward when they attack. I counted seven (!) last time. We've got to be very sharp on the counter. I reckon maybe would swap Johnson out - he's not quick enough. Maybe get Davenport on and put Holtby in the "quarter back" role.

Hard for him, so congested. Reckon it's all about the counter attack when they throw people forward.

Reckon Rothwell just running at them is the best policy.

Were struggling to get through the 352... So many bodies....

Decent start. We seem to have given up on the pressing game at the start of the season. Standing off till they are in our half.

Presumably they have to let him play if it pends. Daft otherwise.

From what I've seen Douglas is worse than Bell defensively but better going forward. Good when we're on top but under the cosh I think it's still our weakest area. In the summer we need to buy a good long term player or find real quality iin the academy. Modern full back is such a hard position to play. Need an incredible engine, be decent in the air, good positioning, tackling, pace, physical and also know how to deliver a cross.

I looked back through their games on whoscored. Seem to play 352 against the top teams like Watford, Bournemouth and Reading. But last two against Birmingham and QPR they were 433. Looks like they will switch back to 352 against us I think. More I think about it I reckon we will change up, but not really sure how. Probably need at least one more midfielder and play a bit more of a direct game as midfield is going to be very congested. Will be interesting to see what Mowbray does.

I am wondering with Mowbrays comments after the Millwall game if we will consider changing our system against a back three as we struggled against both them and Barnsley? He seemed to imply a new approach could be needed. As an aside I remember when Conte took over at Chelsea, played 343 and smashed everyone, over time it was realised an old fashioned 442 could work well against it as the 3 defenders struggled to figure out who to pick up with only 2 attackers... I don't think Rovers have played 442 since we had both Gestede and Rhodes. But I could see Gally and Armstrong being a handful? Anyway sure if we switch system it's more likely to be 4231 than 442.

I would say Watford and Reading just looked a lot better than us (although to be far we were missing quite a few key players through injury). But those games apart we have looked the better team against everyone else we have played this season (imo) which is quite remarkable.

Injuries a massive issue. If Williams is fit I would go Kaminski Nyambe. Ayala. Williams. Douglas. Holtby. Johnson. Rothwell Gallagher. Armstrong. Dolan. I think Elliott struggled in the false 9 role. But to be honest any of Pike, Bell, Elliott, Trybull, Davenport, Buckley could start. Will just come down to whose fittest.... Bracing myself for another injury to Ayala and/or Nyambe. Then we are really up sh*t creek.

I'd rather have Dack central and Armstrong left than the other way around. From what Ive seen this setup will be absolutely lethal. Kaminski Nyambe. Lenihan. Ayala. Douglas. Holtby. Travis. Rothwell Brereton. Dack. Armstrong. Can't wait till we get there, probs not till Jan though. Top players in every position except left back where I think we look weak defensively. Also to have the likes of Williams, Johnson, JRC, Elliott, Dolan and Gallagher on the bench is excellent. Also think Buckley and Davenport will offer more as the season progresses.

Under 21s is an incredible production line of talent at the moment. Can't wait to see who pops out next. Pike has been trailed as coming into the team. Based on previous quality Im expecting him to be very decent.

Was out with the family yesterday so missed the game, but just watched the full 90 mins back on ifollow. A few thoughts... First Half Seeing the teamsheet with both Trybull and Johnon in the midfield I was expecting us to be right under the cosh, playing very deep from the first minute. How wrong could I be? Up until the pen we totally dominated. Defence did not really have too much to do. Our shape was incredibly good, we pushed up really well. Thought it was Trybulls best performance by miles, he spent most of the half over the halfway line, used the ball well, drove the team forward. Maybe he just needed some time to get used to the system? Rothwell obviously absolutely superb with his goal, top quality stuff. Johnson very assured and got stuck in and kept Brentford on the back foot.. Up front @chaddyrovers Armstrong played the whole bloody game on the left! Sorry to be a bit petty but you were very forthright before the game he was through the middle. Wasn't the case. In fact it was Armstrong left, Gallagher right and Elliott as a false nine which - like Trybull and Johnson starting - on it's surface seemed a terrible terrible idea. But actually it worked very well - first time I have seen Gallagher on the right and he looked very comfortable and was deservedly MOTM. Won flick ons, ran their fullback ragged. I was thinking why this was and I would say it was probably because he was more tucked inside first half rather than out on the touchline - Armstrong, Elliott, Gally were all quite narrow and supported one another better than before. He was never isolated which has often happened when he has been on the right. Incidentally you can see from the way we were setup yesterday where Dack will fit in when he's back. He will play where Elliott was all game - straight through the middle with the strikers either side. Elliott seemed to struggle a bit for me in that role - probably the weakest performance we had out there - but I can see how it will be ideal for Dack who has more physically about him and a strikers instincts. The pen was a penalty as he was clipped, but as there was no malice and he was quite wide to the left of the goal I would have thought was a yellow max. I think we should get it over turned on appeal. Hope so anyway. I'm not one to normally criticise referees but he was absolutely horrendous today. Finally Buckley right back was a bit of a weird one, I guess there just weren't any other alternatives. Offensively he did well, defensively he was totally unsuited as you would expect... Second Half Totally different game second half as we were all about trying to hang on; I thought we managed it absolutely superbly. We went very deep into a 441 but always looked dangerous on the break. If Elliott had been passing better Gally could have been clean through three times. Dolan also when he came on ran his socks off and made sure he got himself close to Gally for knockdowns and flick ons which was good to see. Unsuprisingly we conceded down our right side where Buckley to be brutally honest didn't really know how to play right back and got sent off for a pie as someone else said.... but we didn't fall apart. Just stuck to the task everyone working hard and looking for the odd breakway. We limited Brentford to only three shots on target all game which if you consider we had only 10 men, a right back playing centreback and a waif of an attacking midfielder playing right back is quite an achievement. And then what really impressed me is how pretty much bang on the 80th minute we suddenly pressed them very hard, pushed right up the pitch and Brentford couldn't cope. It was very well co-ordinated, obviously had been discussed at half time, and ultimately paid off with Davenports goal where we had 6/7 of our players right up on the edge of the Brentford area. Dolan got a nice little flick on and Davenport (who showed he can do that box to box role very well since he came on, got his foot onto everything) scored a good goal - although very well aided by a deflection. All in all great result. Really impressed with the grit and determination. We really do look a different proposition this season.

I guess options are either Nyambe and Ayala at CB and Pike at right back. Or Carter at CB and Nyambe RB. From what Ive seen if Carter I'd probably take my chances with Pike, but as Carters only played a few games I may be very harsh here....

That's an interesting sub. With Armstrong up top we've always got a chance on the break. Holding out for 45 mins with 10 men is a long way out of our comfort zone though. A loss today is okay considering recent results. Losing Lenihan for multiple games is a huge blow though. Hope we can appeal.

The 433 system needs the two flanking midfield players who can get up and down for it to to work. No problem if Holtby needs to be dropped for fitness but I think we need a different sort of player than Trybull to come in. My expectation now is we will sit very deep in this game with both Trybull and Johnson deep and the forwards will be isolated. Hope I'm wrong. Have a Davenport or even Buckley in instead of one of them and I would expect us to be much more on the front foot.