Teesside Taffarel JRC. Carter. Hyam. Brittain Travis. Buckley Thomas. Szmodics. Dolan Hedges Subs: Hilton, Phillips, Edun, Morton, A Wharton, Gallagher, Leonard Diaz up front if fit.

The squads pretty stretched right now. Not sure who else could've played. I can think of: Hilton Edun Adam Wharton Phillips Garrett Harlock Vale Maybe Hedges? Maybe Morton?

Another clean sheet for the teesside taffarel.

Up front this is what I'd try in this order: 1) Brereton up front 2) Hedges 3) Leonard (probably off the bench initially) 4) Dolan 5) Szmodics 6) Vale again 7) Ayala 8 ) literally anyone else 9) Gallagher

Think you've got a typo in there. Looks like you've typed Gallagher into that first 11 when it should say literally anything else.

We are 7th. Level on points with 5th. 1 point off 4th. And I don't think this squad is much better than that. I think with what he's got to work with JDT is doing a good job. He's been shafted in January as this side really lacks quality up top. We may be an incredibly boring watch at times but we are at least solid.

Pears JRC. Carter. Hyam Pickering Travis. Buckley Thomas. Dack. Hedges Dolan Subs: Hilton, Wharton, Brittain, Morton, Szmodics, Brereton, Vale Or Pears Carter. Hyam. Wharton Jrc. Travis. Buckley. Brittain Dack Dolan. Brereton

As long as Gally doesn't start I'm happy

What are your thoughts on Leonard. Ready for 1st team involvement?

Lot of debate whether Vale can ever make the grade here and that's a fair conversation. However what isn't in debate is he isn't good enough for what we need right now. Neither is Gally. For me the one option we haven't tried is Brereton-Diaz through the middle. He does it for Chile at times, he's got a lot of the attributes to do it, he's leaving anyway so doesn't particularly matter if he'd rather play on the left, allows us to get Thomas into the team. That's what I'd do anyway

On a contract until the end of the season I think it could be worth a go. He can hold the ball up at least. If not then surely we have to try Diaz through the middle

Keep an eye out for players having there contracts terminated. They can still sign for other clubs

Still not a striker but... To fill that centre mid slot that's about as good as we can hope for.

I'd have him. I think he would work quite well in our team.

Broughton talks a good game and has a good record before arriving working with developing younger talent. He's broadly done a good job with us having a clear link between under 21 and first team. He's also been pro active renewing contracts and reorganising the backroom. Problem is the main part of his job is player trading and he hasn't got any experience in pre rovers. He must be realising now how difficult this actually is and really what will inevitably define his time here. We haven't got any money (clearly as all our offers are nominal or loans) so we can't strike early and have to wait till prices drop. Also means we are limited in what we can get in and a couple of mil max doesn't get you a lot. We also aren't that competitive on wages so players mess us around until something better comes along. Also we are again limited in who we can get, pretty much rules out prem strikers on loan. He had a tough situation in the summer and the results were a mixed bag (the biggest flops have been loans to buys which somewhat help his case), so I was withholding judgement until this window. And if the window closes tomorrow with no striker then its been an abject failure. It's all well and good talking about pathways for young players and all that but if we can't get players in, unpolished gems or just players who can just do the job, then we will start moving backwards not forwards.

Great lower league striker, if we were in league 1 it would be worth a go. No way we should be considering it.

Could be worth a try. Gallagher certainly not cutting it and Vale just doesn't seem to have enough at this level albeit he seems fairly well rounded.

I agree. There were positives today. I'm not as down on us as others seem to be. Plenty of negatives too though.

I actually thought we played well today. We moved the ball well (especially when we moved it quickly) and created more than enough chances to win the game comfortably. I thought the balls over the top to gally and Diaz really helped stretch the pitch and allowed us to play a bit more, which stopped us getting stuck playing it around the back all the time. Buckley is the one who can pick those passes though. We are organised and i see the basis of a good side, we just really really lack a striker and we are a good one away from being a good team (and a cm too but i think next season that is wharton). We should've been out of site at 2 - 1 up but we didn't kill them off. Brereton Diaz is playing like just Brereton. Gally is terrible. His touch and decision making is so poor. He wasted so many opening today. Glad we are seeing dack back at a good level. Morton has some ability but I certainly wouldn't be giving him this much playing time. At fault for a goal again today. Wharton has become a bit unreliable, makes a mistake every game post his injury. I like Carter and thought he was the better of the two today. JRC very good as other side. Buckley shows promise being the link out of defence but made a couple of mistakes, I'd like to see him with someone of a bit more presence next to him but we'd have to go buy one first! We aren't a million miles away but I don't think we have the money or nous to get the 3 players we need to kick us onto the next level.

On current form should be 3rd choice.i like him. Wharton has been a bit of a liability recently, not sure what's happened to him.

Came here just to comment on how bad gally is. Terrible

Where's the link?

Burnley have just spent 8 million on a striker with 8 goals in the Belgium top division. Its not going to be easy to find this striker with our budget

I'm hoping this is just part of the life after Brereton plan. Get Thomas in now and make it a loan to not draw away from the striker funds. Get a striker this window (permanent or loan to buy) then use summer funds to hopefully sign thomas on a permanent.

Wondering why on loan?