I'd say probably under Hughes they were fitter. We have a few players who look like they struggle doing 90 mins Saturday -Tuesday - Saturday. There is a noticeable dip in intensity in the last 10-15 mins. Some of which is understandable if we're working so hard for the first 75-80 mins.

Resting not dropping there's a difference.

One of those Palmer's is Armstrong in disguise! It all about managing his time on the pitch. It's to Graham's credit that he's needed as much as he is. His hold up play and that connection with Dack is incredibly important to us. I'd rather he played 60-70 mins every game rather than 90 mins every Saturday

He didn't travel to Bournemouth though. We kept him fresh for Saturday. It's not so much tiredness with Graham, its the risk of aggravating some of those existing conditions he has.

I think your right, can see Mowbray going with Bennett

Raya Travis Lenihan Mulgrew* Bell Bennett Smallwood Reed Rothwell Dack Brereton * If Mulgrew is not fit then Rodwell starts Subs: Leutwiler, Williams, Rodwell, Evans, Palmer, Armstrong, Graham Evans to be rested. Graham i'm assuming will struggle to play to start Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday.

I'm hoping the injury to Nyambe gives Travis a chance at Right Back. The other options for us there are: 1) Bennett - I would like to keep as the wide midfielder who adds balance 2) Reed - I would play in central midfield (which i think his last two performances deserve) and rest Corry Evans 3) Lenihan - Who need at Centre Back We kept Travis around for a reason and it was probably this kind of scenario. I know a lot on here seem to think of him as a centre mid but he's got more experience playing right back then say Bennett has. The lads ready to play some football so lets give him a go.

Raya Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew* Bell Bennett Reed Evans Rothwell Dack Graham * If Mulgrew is not fit then start Rodwell Subs: Leutwiler, Downing, Rodwell, Smallwood, Palmer, Armstrong, Brereton. I don't think that we'll get the same team from Stoke think Mowbray will stick with Smallwood and Evans in cm

Reasons why we concede late goals: 1) We invite pressure late on: We don't control possession in games or have particularly amazing passers in midfield, combine this with the lack of winger who can carry the ball 40 yards and Graham either not being on the pitch passed 70 mins or completely knackered means we lack an 'out ball'. Also we work hard and press well in midfield so come the last 5 mins we're pretty tired and the natural thing to do when you're tired is to hold the shape not to push out. All this combines with us dropping deeper later on in games. 2) We don't have a massive Bloke who heads everything: At centre back who has a ball magnet for a head. When the opposition start pumping the ball into the box late on we're not guaranteed to win that first header and the ball stays in and around our box making everyone else a bit panicky.Also links back to point one as the more likely the ball is going to come into the box the more you'll regret having that type of player. Lenihan and Mulgrew are good in the air but their not a Duffy or a Samba type centre back. 3) We're a relatively young side which lack game management skills: Raya isn't screaming at defenders pushing them out, did he get his wall right vs Villa? Nyambe maybe hasn't learned how to deal with Strikers pulling onto him for deep crosses into the box. Lenihan made a rash challenge at Stoke in the 90th min. Armstrong and Brereton off the bench late on in the stoke game made some really poor decisions (at one point I was screaming at Armstrong to run it into the corner but he cut inside). Reed gave away a needless freekick vs Villa. 4) We're not great at set pieces: Plays into the first 3 points. Lack of defensive nous, always helps to have a big side for set pieces. Was a bit disappointing to lose at Bournemouth from a corner even when we were down to 10 men. 5) Bad Luck? - Ipswich goal was a bit of a fluke and the Villa equaliser was a very good strike. Also the Oldham and Preston games are too long ago and too different in personnel for us to be adding into a general pattern of us conceding late goals.

Would rather Palmer got a run out there. Use Butterworth off the bench

Lenihan

Raya Nyambe Lenihan Rodwell Bell Travis Reed Davenport Rothwell Palmer Brereton Subs: Leutwiler, Downing, Williams, Conway, Bennett, Armstrong, Nuttall. Similar set up tactically to Saturday just different personnel. Dack, Graham, Mulgrew not risked

Pretty sure we are paid extra by Sky for this. Not per match like a live game but overall TV money we get from them. Seem to recall that the TV Deal increased in value because of this coming in

I'd go Raya Nyambe Lenihan Mulgew Bell Reed Smallwood or Evans* Bennett Dack Rothwell Armstrong *Depends who is good to go again both got taken off Bench. Leutwiler, Williams, Smallwood or Evans, Conway, Palmer, Brereton, Graham (Nuttall if Graham is rested)

Bell for me. Think I've posted this somewhere similar but i'll repost it. when you break it down I think Bell is the better left back. Bell is better going forward, better dribbler and crosser of the ball. Bell is quicker. Bell is better in possession IMO. I believe Bell is a better 1v1 defender than Williams is, I think Williams gets skinned quite a lot. I often think Williams gets caught out of position a bit so not sure there's much difference there Williams is better in the air. Williams is more likely to put his body on the line for the cause. When going forward, Williams will underlap more and drives inside with the ball, whereas Bell sticks wider and can go on the outside When we signed Williams I remember Andy Cryer saying on twitter that he did well for Bristol City as a left sided CB in a back 3 but wasn't good enough as a left back or a centre back. Thats interesting for me as I see him as something similar, maybe being more of a Centre Back than a Left Back. With Bell the main criticism i've heard around me is that he doesn't get forward enough, but considering that he's sort of readjusting to playing in a back 4 having spent the last few years as a wing back in a 5 I can cut him some slack on this. Since Bell has come into the team he's done well and would be unlucky to dropped but Tony does seem to like Williams so we'll have to wait and see. I'd certainly stick with Bell and Williams is good to have on the bench as he covers two positions.

Not sure if Davenport is fit yet. Hip flexor injury could mean all sorts of things.

Graham can't move though, he can hold the ball and bring people into play but he's mainly effective when he's not isolated on his own. To say playing without Palmer, Dack or Rothwell as a 10 is crazy is nonsense considering the Brentford game where both Palmer and Rothwell played out wide. Think its fair to say Villa aren't anywhere near the level of Liverpool but I take your point about Dack. I've changed my mind i'd go with Brereton up top, Dack on the bench.

If we're going to be on the backfoot most of the game Bennett in that position makes us more sound defensively. Nuttall was a passenger in the Brentford game so Dack dropping deep could give us an out ball and get us going on the break. Obvs not his best position but better than benching him - though maybe after his off the field shtick he deserves to be dropped to the bench.

4-2-3-1 - Dack as a false 9 Raya Nymabe Lenihan Mulgrew Bell Evans Reed Armstrong Bennett Rothwell Dack Subs: Leutwiler, Williams, Smallwood, Conway, Palmer, Brereton, Graham Notes: We're going to be under the cosh in this so setting us up similar to the brentford game is a good way to go. Vs Brentford Bennett was very effective defensively stopping them playing out from the back, now I don't know if Villa try to play the same way, if so then same again. Graham to be used as an impact sub

Pickford Gomes Stones Maguire Walker Henderson Lingard Shaw Alli Rashford Kane Change from the 3-5-1-1 that they played a the world cup. Get someone to sit next to Henderson (could even play Dier). We really are short in CM.

See i agree I don't see Williams as being much better Defensively. The one area that he's better is in the air. I don't think his positioning is better I don't think his passing general ball control is better I don't think he's a better 1v1 defender than Bell. Bell is clearly better going forward. I'd stick with Bell but I think Tony will go back Williams after the international break

Dunn I think would be a good person to warn him of the perils of his current lifestyle

The club didn't have to stand by him after his initial offence but they did. They even covered it up for him in public. Mowbray has stuck his neck out for him and he's initially repaid that by knuckling down and taking his game to the next level . He got off lightly with just community service (he assaulted a police officer ffs!) then he didn't do his sentence. Which he's presumably lied to the club/ Mowbray about doing. He's had numerous warnings which he's just ignored. It's real F you to the club. This needs to be a wake-up call for the lad. He simply has to do his community or he's going to prison next time. But more than that he's needs to sort his priorities out now before he's telling some lads in a bar in Marbella about how he could've played in the premier league and how good he was in league 1 in the 17/18 season. Mowbray has stuck his neck out for him again and it should be the last time. Next time he gets himself in trouble he should be on his own. We can all guess as to why he's done this. If I was Mowbray I would be asking the lad to take a long hard look at the people around him.

Like you say you'd agree that the deal is agreed at both ends its just on Boro getting bodies in first. Not sure what the ruling is on this deadline can you sign someone subject to a medical or is it a case of everything has to be done in principal by 5

If the rumour about Albert Adomah going to Boro is correct then I think we could well be getting a 5 minute warning before 5pm