harryhealless1928

You mean Jim Fryatt with "the serious sideburns/anglebars"? On a positive note we are still third so relegation looks unlikely! Also still in the League Cup. Have to say there doesnt look much passion from JDT. The players are probably as confused as we are....and as bad as Travis was against Preston the worst performer was JDT....Smodzics AND Dack on together from the start?? Makes Tonys tombola look sensible!!

Great performances from all the players. JDT setting a scorching pace.. lets hope it continues. The importance of the academy cannot be exaggerated cos we can offer the youngsters something the Premier League big boys cannot... its called game time..

The one team I wouldnt want to play Dack against is a Mowbray team . No need for psychological problems. Only Dack & Markanday havent really had any proper game -time under JDT. I dont really buy the fitness thing. And in Markandays case,it isnt his age or his wages. He must be pretty unimpressive in training given the game time Hirst has had!!

Ranks up there with the Gordon Banks save against Pele in the 1970 World Cup! With shot-stopping like that who cares what Kaminskis kicking is like? Could we not get one of our large & swelling collection of central defenders to take the goal kicks?

Top show from Daragh helping us on our way! Who replaces Travis as our "tackler"(if he is suspended)? Garrett hasn t been given any game time so Szmodics or Morton to plug the hole? Just need to remember these good performances when the (mostly young) lads hit an inconsistent patch.

If JDT does buy Hirst we need a new manager. Perhaps a bit early to judge but just playing Greggs acquisitions irrrespective of how they perform is grossly unfair to quality players like Dack. I stiil maintain that if JDT really wants a non-scoring centre-forward Jack Vale is a better and less expensive option. Even Chris Brown (who was older,less fit and slower than Hirst)had a physical presence and more importantly cost zero pence.

Reasonable set-up J*B, everyone bar Travis probably in on merit performance-wise with that team. Time to have one extra midfielder when we cant get one shot on target all game even with 4 forwards! Talking of forwards ,Hirst should be nowhere near the team (along with JRC). In our glorious tradition of expensive non-scoring centre-forwards like Grabbi or Kevin Davies, Martin Dahlin, Anthony Modeste all of whom were great elsewhere Hirsts statistics are however unconvincing and his performances so far the worst of all the forwards(not got Jack Vales link-up quality). Clearly Leicester have got the decimal point in the wrong position surely they meant £500,00 NOT £5 million. Anyone who pays £5 million for Hirst deserves the sack IMO. Then again they got £150 million(or so reported) for injury-prone Fofana plus Maguire. Caveat emptor comes to mind.

Intelligent use of Hedges by JDT,,quite the utility player! Can see the athleticism & mobility in Szmodics game brings something different to the party. Need to sort out a penalty-taker for when BBD isnt on the field(we should get a few more penalties in the months ahead given the way we play).

Cunning Tony Mowbray. The longest-serving manager in the Championship by a country mile whist at Rovers. Good pic,John.

Hedges at right wing-back is to find a deputy for Brittain. JRC,Carter or Travis cant do it. Hedges looked reasonable when there before.

Hope weve got a new penalty-taker if Diaz comes off. Adam Wharton should certainly start. I know they say young lads need their game minutes managed but he would be in on merit. Think Dolan gets an unfair amount of criticism. Granted the "headless chicken" style is unappealing but he does deliver in goals &. assists. Hirst reminds me of Chris Brown(except in the price wanted-£5 million against free transfer). Early days but if we really want a non-scoring centre-forward, Jack Vale is at least decent with link-up play.

JDT has to shake things up surely? Get Dack or Szmodics on..... maybe both... Ben & Dolan to come off for me-Gally needed to stay on ...for his defensive attributes

Clear JDT doesnt rate Markanday. Not even on the bench. If Brittain still not fully fit,its a case of "finding" the best cover to fit in at right-back(right-wing back):- that isnt JRC or Travis or Buckley. Carter not great out there either...so Dolan gets a go. Most of the players are in on merit to me...maybe Morton a bit lucky(part of loan agreement re game time?).

Hope Im wrong but JDT does come across as a little naive. Would like to see a bit bigger team so would give Carter a go at right-back if Brittain isnt fit. A bit more of the "defensive/big lads" philosophy for me aka Allardyce/Lambert. It is a local derby of sorts anyway. Sophistication ...aka Pep tippy-tappy unnecessary given our opponents. So go 3 at the back. No more putting "Tonys tombola" into overdrive with bizarre team selections please.....we already need the points/point.

JRC is the lad you want Tony!

Is James Brown really worse than JRC? If not ,get him back quick from Stockport !

Sensational result considering the team put out. Special mention for Annesley. Cant be easy when you make your debut playing without a recognised defensive partner in the middle and looks like his goal-line block got us into the next round.

Given our excessively threadbare squad (and avoiding relegation could become a priority)Ayala,Kaminski,Travis,Brittain,Diaz,Phillips & Gallagher cant be risked. Add on our high list of injured players. So SS first name on the teamsheet for me- makes the number up and saves the other players. So Im going with Pears- JRC ,Pratt, Pickering, Batty- Edun,Morton,Wharton(A)- Markanday,Vale,Szmodics. Not sure I even want to risk Dolan or Buckley if Smallwood is playing - not confident of a result with that set-up but how many more players can we afford to lose to injury?

Most posters thought like me that the game looked difficult last night as soon as JDTs selection was announced. Putting Dolan & Vale both in from the start (however well they play in training) to give Gally & Hedges a rest quickly backfired. Our players look too delicate for me against a hard press. Like Joeys idea of five across the middle.....Buckley struggling there last night(exhaustion?)......Sheffield is a game crying out for a fit Scott Wharton AND a fit Hayden Carter for both to start unfortunately......totally different formation really necessary from Reading. No Szmodics, Markanday, Dolan or Vale starting for me. Hard to do with a threadbare squad I know. Tonys tombola anyone? Still top of the table yet mind..

It would be very foolish of Rovers not to offer Phillips a very attractive package along with the probability of extended game time. The game time is our biggest selling point to put him on the world stage. However JDT knows our early success(such as it is)has come from great team spirit & camaradarie aka the sum is bigger than the parts, so sensible to plan for him to go for nothing as well. Hence bring in at least one extra central defender for if/when Ayala is injured.

All rovers fans can be justly proud of the effort & endeavour put in by the players to get the result today. The fitness levels look the best since the Hughes era. JDT very clever at managing the players game time in so far as he can, so far. On the Mowbrayfication topic ,useful to point out that Tony Mowbray was far and away the longest-serving manager in the Championship so the large mileage he gets is very justified IMO.

JDT should see highlights of last years cup-tie against Wigan as required viewing. I honestly dont think Pears is even League II standard......Hilton has to start for me because if Kaminski plays and gets injured weve got major problems. Not only Ayala,but Kaminski, Travis, Brereton, Hedges & Brittain cant be risked for me. The squad is way too threadbare to take dangerous chances with any of these. So for me:- Hilton -JRC, Phillips, Wharton(S), Edun-Buckley, Morton, Wharton(A)- Markanday, Vale, Dack. Subs:Pears, Harlock, Annesley, Garrett, Dolan, Leonard, Smodzics/Gallagher. Harlepool sit 20th in League II and got spanked 4-0 by Walsall in their opening fixture so the above should(?) be strong enough to see us through................. famous last words

Agree with Chaddy. Obafemi didnt want to come to Rovers"up North" when Southampton wanted to move him on. We dont want players who dont want to be here. Fortunately we just got the cash for Adam instead.

Didnt Mowbray always refer to Rovers as "they" not "we"? And then proceeded to tell us how important Middlesborough were?

Interesting that JDT only made 1 sub whereas QPR made all 5. Given the tiredness in the players towards the end, have to wonder if he doesnt trust Dack or Markanday in this system. Dack probably isnt athletic enough and Markanday looks way too delicate. We shall see but if so we may need 7/8 additions not 5/6. Very good win nonetheless and Hedges my MOM along with Travis. That was some goal!!!