A managers lot is a difficult one - I like Rothwell - but imagine he played and got injured ? Also - imagine Evans or Smallwood had to play in the first team due to injuries - but were lacking in match sharpness ? Only thing I would have liked to see is Chapman for Downing - but again that may have been to help Buckley It isn't a team that particularly excites me - but is one that I think provides balance and a basis for our young players to show their worth and build some confidence. It should also be enough to beat Oldham. .

With two young centre halves - not a bad call to have two experienced players to (Hopefully) provide some defensive cover for them.

Why do you think his time is up ? Personally don't think he is the perfect manager - but excluding his lack of ruthlessness with certain players (and blind spot over centre half) - I can see at times what he is trying to do. I do wonder how much pressure he is under from DJ - not heard some of his interviews recently (I don't rely on out of context sound bites) - but some have mentioned a certain tetchiness. Possibly the owners are lining up DJ if we don't start well - and Mowbray is aware of this ? What is certain - given our fan base and debts - he can't really complain about support from the owners.

Who knows - yet again it sounds like we didn't take advantage when we were on top. On the positives - he started Rothwell - central defence sounded a lot better.

All these moans - we are only 4 points outside the top 6 ?

Thought Williams played ok at CH.

So why have a go at TM and the club for their handling of Mulgrew when you don't actually know what went on.

This the same player we bought from Premiership Norwich ? He must have taken a huge wage cut to join Rovers

Most were brought in as Championship players - so doubt they will be paid at League 1 levels.

How do you know it was rushed ? How do you know it wasn't a mutual decision based on predicted game time ? How do you know they aren't paying most of is wages ? How do you know they didn't approach us ?

Very undecided about goal keeper - as you say would have preferred experience. Seen Walton in two matches - only observation is that he seems more vocal than Raya. TM has made some big calls in this window. I think now is the time to get behind the lads - and see where we are in 10 matches.

IF we get a decent out of contract defender e.g. Lynch - then IMO it will have been a good window. If we don't - then injuries and Tosin's form will go a long way to defining it. As you said TM has made his bed - but that would still be the case if he had bought a £10m centre half. People would then moan that we were still relying on a 34 year old centre forward.

While I blame the owners for our current predicament - you just need to look at Bolton and Bury tò see how much worse it could be. Considering we were a business deal - unlike the labour of love Rovers were for Jack - I am amazed they continue to fund the club in the way they do.

Interesting that many are lauding some teams buying largely unknown players from abroad. People have short memories - remember the Portugeuse experiment ? This window will be defined by whether we get a half decent out of contract central defender. Also huge pressure on Tosin coming good. For all the criticism of TM - I wonder how much he has been limited by our wage bill. For which the lack of season ticket sales won't have helped.

Harsh on Lenihan. Though he has still scored - actually struggle to think of many matches where Dack played really well. He has been too easily marked out of games.

He is so infuriating as a player - blessed with good pace, reasonably dribbling - but absolutely rubbish decision making

Gallagher started up front in the centre - it was only in the second half he moved to the wing - by which time Rothwell was on.

Thought Armstrong and Dack were ok. Walton - would have to see the goals again - but wondered why he didn't come for either goal. We ran out of steam in the second half against a very average team - that defended very well and ran their socks off. Thought Bennett was my pick for worst player on the day - Johnson rightly MOM. Going forward - at least we have time to bring in some defensive improvements - for the first match of the season I thought we played reasonably well - just undone by a couple of defensive lapses (sounds familiar). Not certain what we do about Rothwell - we have to find space in the team for him - just not certain who we drop to accomodate. As you said - Downing looked good today - and we looked poor without the pace of Armstrong to force them to play a little deeper.

Think you will be right with defence. Can't see Smallwood or Evans starting.

Did Downing not leave at Christmas ?

Did they not rate him as a right back or centre back ? To be fair to the lad - the demands of the roles are very different.

We have lost Rodwell, and replaced with a genuine centre back - not certain how that makes the back line vastly weaker than last season ? Don't get me wrong - we need vast improvement in this area - but with the addition of Johnston and Downing to help solidify the midfield defensively we may be actually better than last season.

So who would you have preferred to sign Johnston or Bayliss ? Green or Gallagher/Chapman ?

IMO Nuttall just isnt better than what we have. He has most of the attributes - but needs regular game time (something he wouldn't have got at Rovers). So good luck to him - I just hope we have a sizeable sell on clause ? (if we have - it is a win win for all parties)

Well I hope you are very happy together ?