joey_big_nose

To be fair Graham did play as a false nine and spent a bit of time on left wing....

All of that true, plus Gallagher, Brereton and Bennett are all awful and they didn't play. Samuel, Graham and Rankin-Costello was a significant improvement. I think same players we would have won at least one of those games.

Oh well...

We're looking decent. I'd bring on Davenport for Johnson. Travis looks fitter and Rankin-Costello can get up and down which makes a big difference.

I agree that Mowbray looks like he's out of ideas and energy too. I think he would walk away if paid off, maybe for less than the full term of his contract Also for Venkys it's a pretty bad situation. They're losing money hand over fist, just invested £12m in near worthless players, and probably their only real concern is to reduce their year on year losses. But realistically to avoid future even more severe losses they need to invest more money in the hope we get promoted. It's a toxic cycle.. At some point which cannot really be that far away they are going to say fuck this and then it will really kick off. I think all fans should mentally prepare themselves for when we go bankrupt. Arguably the best thing for the club would be to wind the wage bill down further to a level supportable by the club's income and take our chances on unknown talent and the youth team. Not the most glamorous future but it will keep us alive when Venkys fuck off.

I would give Damien Johnson a whirl with someone lined up in the background if it doesn't work out. Managers and players coming back very very rarely works out.

I think Brereton isn't a footballer. He's absolutely shocking. I've followed Rovers since about 1993 and I would say he is our worst signing in that period if you consider relative cost to budget. Gallagher does have something about him though as we know from his first spell. But he isn't a right-fookin-winger.

I think we have a decent chance of getting a good manager in. Spine of the squad is strong (Lenihan-Travis-Dack-Armstrong) with some good young players coming through (Nyambe, Buckley, Davenport) and some good supporting players (Evans, Downing, Holtby). A lot of managers would look at that squad and think they can do something with it. In a way I feel bad for Mowbray. He's done a lot of good things. But transfers since we came up we have been really poor - not managing to address key areas of the team like striker and centre back and wasting a lot of money. Also tactically what he has tried has not worked at all. We're a solid mid table side so he has improved us over where we were when he arrived. But I do fear we will start to go backwards next year unless we make a change. I think he's jumped the shark now, and its just a matter of time.

I don't think Travis was fit to be honest.

Fair point but I just think they will look at the money spent on Brereton and Gallagher, the state of the squad and the run of results and decide to change.

Venkys have a lot of tolerance but I don't think they would take six losses in a row. Just a personal view.

Not much point in this game for us anymore. I'd just get Davenport and Buckley on to see how they do. As for Tony we have 3 tough matches after this one. If we lose all three he could lose his job.

Ah I get it. Makes sense!

It will be an antipiracy thing. But as it's not supposed to be shown in pubs anyway I don't get how it is effective?

Leeds keep on giving the ball away. They've been absolutely awful. But still look good to score everyone they come forward as they've got quality up front.

Reckon we are really going to suffer as the game wears on as Travis is not fit and Johnson is off the pace. I can see Leeds giving us the run around.

Hmmm three great chances created. It's the hope that kills you.

This game has all the hallmarks of Rovers getting an absolute drubbing

And we concede so easily. Maybe a foul but it would have been very soft. Nailed on loss today. That's 3 in a row and Mowbray will be starting to sweat.

Looks like 4231 with Armstrong up top, Rothwell left, Gallagher right and Holtby in the hole. I have to concur we look incredibly weak down the left.

Gone from being really excited about the season after Bristol City to not giving a toss. Will still pay my £10 and watch though as I am a glutton for punishment. I can't see Mowbray changing 433.

He's playing it because he needs to fit his "wide strikers" in somehow and that way he can get two of them in.

Spine of the team is decent - Lenihan, Travis, Dack, Armstrong. A few decent players around the squad - Holtby, Evans, Nyambe. But he's done himself by buying absolute and utter garbage strikers to play on the wing for £12M rather than sorting out the defence. Mistakes that big cost you your job. He's only got himself to blame. Hope Venjys fancy dipping into their pocket this summer for a new manager and at least half a dozen new players.

Well I think if you asked Mowbray he would tell you Gallagher and Brereton on the wing does work. He's absolutely convinced about it. The formation is custom made, in Tony's mind, to get the best out of his players. I mean what is clear is Tony spent £10M on those two to play this wide striker role which seems to me and many as utterly mental, but that is his judgement. As for whether we should persevere with it I'm in two minds. Did look very effective against Bristol City who just couldn't cope at all, and while we lost against Wigan we totally bossed it until Travis went off and should have won the game. The freedom it gives Downing is excellent. But equally Gallagher and Brereton on the wings an absolute joke from a footballing perspective. Brereton has started to look better but all he can do is dribble a bit and then lose the ball. Gallgher can be effective defensively but offensively is totally abject. Have either of them had a decent shot in the last two games? I guess it's one of those formations which people will tolerate as long as we win, but if we aren't getting the results it's a focal point for criticism. But Tony's set his stall out, can't see him changing it unless we get hammered.

I can't really see Tony changing away from the 433 false 9 formation. Those who think we will switch back to 4231 likely to be disappointed.