In the front 4 of 4231 we have quite a few options. Dack, Rothwell, Armstrong, Downing, Holtby all look quality on their day. Then you've got Gallagher and Graham who have struggled. Looking at performances you would say the logical thing is to drop the big men to the bench, and just use the little guys. You can always get Gally or Graham off the bench if it's not working. However I just think it's a huge ideological shift for Mowbray to drop them entirely. Goes against all his summer preparation and all the money he's spent. But that's what the data is saying.... Personally I think it would be very hard for any defence to handle all of Dack, Holtby, Rothwell and Arma running at them with Downing pulling the strings from deep. All can beat a man, all can drop off, all can pick a pass (well maybe not Arma). Dack and Arma are scoring (which Gally and Graham are not). You lose the diagonal ball to the big man, but we're trying to pass it out anyway, and Arma gives an out also with his pace over the top. I would like Mowbray to commit to getting them on the pitch together. He must be getting to the same conclusion.

He was marmite. Half the fan base loved him, the other half (including me) thought he actually made us weaker due to contributing very little outside of goals. I would have happily played Gestede and King up front, sold Rhodes and used the money to buy the quality centre mid and keeper we needed then.

I haven't got any stats but I would imagine that away followings in London are better than anywhere else for all clubs. Lots of exile fans living in London from all over the country, and easiest place to get to due to all roads (and rail) leading to London so to speak.

I'm really confused why people keep on dropping Downing when he's our best player at the moment?

He's had a decent start to the season. Squad looks better, defensive issues improved somewhat, okay position in the table. Realistically it's going to take a run of three or four defeats in a row to out him under serious pressure. Those who want him out are going to be frustrated for a little while at least. If he does go I would anticipate we are far more likely to get someone worse rather than better. But then the Holtby signing showed ambition so maybe we would be able to push the boat out / make a good decision?

Bizarre statement when you consider our defence has looked a million times better than last season. Losing Mulgrew was massive, and Del has been great. Bennett has been up and down I give you. But odd to say the bar has never been lower when we have the best defence we've had for around 5 or 6 years.

Have to agree on this. While we lacked a cutting edge the quality on show is miles better than any point for years. Our passing was really slick. But I enjoy watching good passing and possession football.

Got tickets! Team I would play : ------------------------Walton Bennett---Lenihan---Williams---Cunningham -----------------Travis------Downing -----Armstrong-----Holtby-------Rothwell ----------------------------Dack Subs : Leut, Tosin, Nyambe, Johnson, Samuel, Gallagher, Graham We've got to bite the bullet and play Holtby and Dack at the same time eventually. And the "big diagonal" to Gallagher or Graham has not really been working out so we could just drop it. I think with the improvement in our passing play we could make the ball stick to that front four.

Well it's all about opinions but we absolutely dominated the game in terms of possession and attempts at goal. Most threatening player on the pitch by miles was Armstrong. I am sure the Forest fans will be thinking they wished they had him in their squad. Their goal apart our defence looked very solid However equally our finishing was poor. Graham and Gallagher contributed nothing. If we had someone who could show the sort of form Gestede did 5 years ago we would be in a very good place.

Cunningham played the whole game.

Got it to work at half time by fiddling with the cables

I'm beginning to wonder if we may play Dack up front and Holtby at number 10?

I think we played very very well. Should have won. Forest rarely had any of the game. Armstrong, much maligned on here, was excellent. Bennett had a good game, as did Travis and Downing. To be honest I think Tony is doing a good job outside of the striker purchases which were mental. Everyone's banging on about Rothwell (who I like) but Armstrong had a much better game.

Anyone on the Red Button? Not working for me. Is it working for others?

Is Downing injured? For me I would just give 442 a go, let Dack play as a proper striker. ---------------------------Walton Bennett-----Lenihan---Williams---Cunningham --Rothwell----Travis----Holtby----Downing ----------------------Dack-----Graham Subs : Leut, Tosin, Nyambe, Johnson, Chapman, Armstrong, Gallagher Thats a decent team. Decent bench too

Spot on - they are up there again. Thanks!

Anyone know if tickets are still available? On Rovers website it can't find any? I would be surprised if we sold out, but then we always do have a good following in London...

Gallagher obviously adds a lot to the team. Unbelievable work rate, good in the air, quick, strong. Any centreback or full back (depending where he plays) up against him knows they will have a really really hard time. That said it's obvious even in a very good season he will struggle to get 15+ goals. We do need a striker with a better goal return than Armstrong, Gallagher and Brereton - that's obvious. But I would be happy to play someone like that alongside Gallagher ultimately. For the meantime the midfielders and defenders need to keep scoring.

Forgot completely about Davenport. After a decent end to last season he's had 3 players come in ahead of him (Buckley, Johnson, Holtby)

I'm just not really convinced by 343, I think Dack and Rothwell won't really know what they are doing. The width is being supplied by Bennett and Cunningham so they won't want to go wide, but if they play narrow they will get in each others way. However I'm willing to be converted if it works out. One positive is that it let's one of the back three pass or push out from the back kind of like England at the last world cup.

To be fair you do need to find the right formation before you stick to it. I don't really have an issue with what Mowbrays doing. 4231 has worked okay for us but not brilliantly. If he wants to try something different I can see why. The big issue is always going to be how to fit Dack in the side. He's a very unconventional player in that he is nominally an attacking midfielder, but plays so far forward he's really a striker. Dare I say it, we could just go 442 and stick Dack and Gallagher alongside one another up front, Downing left wing, Chapman or JRC right wing, Johnson and Travis centre, Cunningham, Williams, Lenihan, Bennett or Nyambe across the back. Could suit us. Think it would definitely suit Dack and Gallagher.

I really enjoy international rugby, will be good to follow. Sport is absolutely relentless isn't it. Football, cricket, tennis, rugby.... Barely any time for anything else

Looking at his career he seems to have only averaged playing around 50% of games a season until his most recent club Hamburg where he was a regular starter.

Well after watching a lot of both Johnson and Travis it's Johnson who continually gives away the ball in dangerous areas game after game. But Mowbray called Travis out on it after the Hull game which is weird, but consistent with how he seems to be critical with young players but not older ones.

I've got a feeling Mowbray has got it in for Travis. Though as the stats say he actually gives the ball away less than Johnson.