If Rothwell scores the winner at Swansea nobody will give a damn about this week.

Get ready for something along the lines of "We had to put all our attention on replacing Joe and when that didn't happen it left us little time to look at anything else".

There's probably vey little gone on behind the scenes at Rovers. His mates will probably be glad he's still here, as will the manager if he stays committed. The only way I can see it being an issue if is Mowbray actually wanted him gone to bring in a couple of extra players. It's the people on here who have been having fits of rage at him for 48 hours who will struggle with him being back in the squad.

None of us know for sure if we could have offered more money, although many suspect if Mowbray really wanted to we could. Similarly, none of us have any idea if he will down tools if we refuse to let him leave.

Does that season count towards FFP?

On the positive side, aside from the Fulham game we’ve conceded just 5 goals in the last 14 games. That’s what’s gotten us where we are, and Rothwell hasn’t been a major contributor to that. If that continues I don’t think it’s a season-breaker.

“The lads a good player and his position is a key part of our shape.” So why have other players been offered better paid contracts that what he has been offered? Do you think it’s fair he develops for 4 years to become an integral part of our team, being one of the main reasons we are challenging, and yet still can’t get to the pay level of a player who contributes less like SG. Does he not deserve better than that? That’s all devils advocate of course and we’ve no idea what is happening. However as far as we known the lad hasn’t said he won’t play and we don’t know he won’t give 100% and yet he’s being slated and called an arsehole. Lucas Neil got the same shit despite the fact the club and fans knew for 18 months in advance what he was going to do and he never gave less than 100% in that final year.

Preferably one that doesn't take a couple of years to find his feet

What if Rothwell wants to wait till the end of the season to see what options he has and doesn’t want to move to the south coast with his young family, but Mowbray wants shut and wants the £3 million or whatever now.

I would question why a player who has been here 4 years and should have bonded with this 'great set of lads' won't give 100%, and then wonder if all those times I've dug him out for not defending well when he's had a great game, or dropped him or played him out of position, has made him pissed off?

Good point. It's hardly unexpected. We've been speculating about it for months.

Is it a coincidence our attacking players are having their best seasons when they are being played in their correct positions? If we had Arma up front and Brereton on the wing do you think Barcelona and Co would be being linked?

If Mowbray genuinely believes he can improve our team this window with the money he should go. Otherwise not. I think it would take an exception lowlife to not be commited once the window shuts

Stuart Downing, Charlie Mulgrew and Danny Graham all tell slightly different stories of their exit than the one Mowbray and the club said at the time. Who knows what's really gone on.

Myles Anderson to Barca

What if he does that at the beginning of the window and then no club comes in for him. IF it’s true then there’s an attractive option just appeared that he fancies.

If you are Waggot and you’re leaving in the summer (allegedly) or you’re Mowbray and your contract is up in the summer (and let’s be honest most thought he would be gone when that happened), where is the motivation to solve a problem occurring 2 years later down the line.

To be fair at the time most people probably complained Kuqi wasn’t good enough either.

At least George Courtney righted his wrongs.

Remember when we went 2-0 up at Preston, then they brought that big lump on up front against Williams and Tosin and we ended up getting beat 3-2. What I like about this team is that would have just been bread and butter for them. Proper central defenders.

Your actually kind of backing up my point. What you are saying is the player who could have played instead of the one that did could have done a better job for the team. My point is you can't say without Gally playing we wouldn't have beaten Reading just because he scored the first goal. Somebody else takes his place.

This argument crops up from time to time on various players and it doesn't really work because if Gally wasn't playing someone else would be, and may contribute less / the same / more. (as @CambridgeRover has said above) For example, if Gallagher was on the bench for the Reading game then Khedra may have started. Who is to say we wouldn't have won 3 or 4 nil if Khedra had played. Silly extreme, but had Gallagher been playing and keeping a prime Alan Shearer on the bench, you wouldn't say without Gally we'd be 8th or 9th. It would be a case of had he not been playing we'd have been top. Having said that he did well on Monday, worked his arse off and took the winning goal well.

Rothwell surely sits tight if he wants to play at the top level If we get promoted he is in the premier league. If we don't and Bournemouth do, if they are genuinely interested they just pick him up on a free.

He works and runs the channels if needed, but definitely central tonight.

Decent following by Boro for a Monday night Sky game.