Great article. Man management is curiously one of Mowbray's flaws. 

Sinclair would've been a great replacement for Dack. They will beat us because they're a much better side than us without Dack. We don't score enough and our defence is poor and goalkeepers garbage.

Preston have been linked with Dwight Gayle. The kind of signing that can get you promoted. Top quality. If only we had 12 million to spend and we hadn't spent in on two of those non scoring strikers that you can play out wide. 

Lowe was dreadful. No football brain, or ability whatsoever. How managers from Bowyer to Coyle rated him so highly is bizarre when everyone else could see he was garbage.

Smallwood was in a different league. And did a great job in league one. Personally think he's been harshly treated this season. It's not as though our central midfield has been strong and bossing games consistently. He always got stuck in and his passing was no worse than Johnson's has been. 

Team of bottlers. Getting beat off the team that is bottom of the form table with a man extra is a disgrace. No leaders, no system, no plan, no fitness. 

3 hours ago, West Yorks Rover said:

Got in before me Ossy, hey at least we'd have something to laugh about, we could all wear Elvis masks.

That was that prat Stokes.

15 minutes ago, Wood26 said:

Did you feel same after Bristol away? Nyambe and Cunningham are injured, as Dack, which can not be helped.

We were dead and buried for league 1 and Mowbray got us our first time of asking. Look at Sunderland and Portsmouth. 

How many Bristols away have we had recently? Far more performances like today.  He did a great job in league one. But how long do you live off that?

8 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Gallagher and Walton came in via the same agent......

Seems in the end a two for one old boys job again was more appealing.

And this says it all. Walton is crap. Gallagher is crap. Gallagher was crap three years ago and he's even worse now which is some achievement. Why would anyone sign them? Oh because we are still entrenched with dodgy agents. It's a disgrace. 

Just now, Wood26 said:

This is a good forum for us to come on and let our frustrations on the game that just happened.

After the first 2 games whilst it was negative I was still okay as I saw how we played and knew we would be better the Charlton come May and that we could stand up against Fulham, same as WBA.

Then we went shit, and when I lost hope we went on a run that reminded me of my earlier confidence.

The Xmas period has been a disaster, but we are still in the mix. 
 

I still think we are a good enough side for play offs, 2nd most clean sheets in the league if we can find a goal scorer (Graham hopefully) then we still got a shot.

I'll have some of whatever you're having. We are garbage. Best two players out for the season. Useless strikers who don't score. Fullbacks who can't attack or defend. Midfielders who offer no goal threat. A crap goalkeeper. A manager who doesn't know his best eleven. We are the definition of mediocrity. A team of bottlers with no spine, no heart, no fight. Twelve million spent on two useless strikers with a pitiful record and pathetic goal threat. A manager who recommended his boss so there is no prospect of accountability. No prospect of a change when the fans are fed up of constant dismal performances whenever there is a smell of success. Turn off the lights. It's not our a Rovers anymore. Just a pale imitation. 

9 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Agree with so much of this.  I thought Downing tried to use the ball to get Bell free on the left but he simply doesn't have the ability or confidence to attack the space that was there for him to run into.  Downing was the only player who looked anywhere near the level of team looking for a play-off place.

Walton looks a panic solution to Raya leaving and is simply one of the worst goalkeepers I've seen as a regular starter for Rovers.  The only positive about Walton is that he is not our player and we can get shot as soon as possible - I would much prefer Fisher or Hilton being given a chance at this point, even Leutwiler can't be worse than this guy and I must admit that I don't really rate him. 

Quite how Rothwell managed to avoid the hook I'll never know.  He is well and truly in "headless chicken" mode in terms of running around with no end product.  He should have been hauled off after presenting Forest with their third goal.

As for Brereton - what can you say?  I feel sorry for the lad.  He is clearly not up to it and I suspect would struggle to win a place in a League One side.

Basically, I thought we looked awful today and the substitution of Travis seemed a strange one to say the least.

I believe Mowbray, over the course of a full season, would keep us up but some of his signings have left a lot to be desired.  Ultimately, it is on Brereton and Gallagher - the non-scoring duo - that Mowbray will be judged and at the moment they both look dreadful signings.  I still believe he will keep us well away from relegation and in mid to lower mid-table.  With our present financial situation I'm not sure if we can expect much else.

With the financial situation dire, and a transfer embargo no doubt just around the corner I suspect we are in for a few difficult years.  Not the first time we have been in this situation but that doesn't make it any easier to take.  We can only hope that the Academy can keep producing players we need as I suspect we are not going to be spending much in the near future.

If the most level headed and rational poster, parson, is this negative, then today must have been bad. 

I think he does care. Sat behind him at the Wigan game. He was throwing bottles of water and all sorts. Think he just over thinks it and is way too loyal to certain players. He has also bought some dross too. It's so frustrating. 

Mowbray needs to pick a team and stick to it. Bar Graham and Dack, our forwards are garbage so  I'd be tempted to play 451. We don't score enough goals as it is so at least it would make us harder to beat. Grind out some 1-0s. Graham up top and swamp the midfield. Armstrong and Chapman out wide and three central midfielders who'll battle and scrap. 

Mowbray is going nowhere any time soon. On paper we are 3 points off play offs. In reality, as most rational and resigned fans are aware, this gap will only increase. But he will be here until he decides otherwise. 

You've got to start Brereton. He can't be any worse than Gallagher and to be fair to him he has started a lot less games in the times he has been here. Think we're looking at a 2-0 defeat. Raft of changes. Limp, lifeless, disjointed display. Players out of position, no wingers. Groundhog Day.

No other team chops and changes  like Mowbray. And he does it to keep everyone happy. And it doesn't work. It worked once at Bristol City but that is it. We caught them at the right time. We"ll see the same garbage at Forest and in the cup.

Just now, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Gallagher - the man who Chaddy and a few others have pinned to score a bucket load in Dack’s absence. One league goal to his name this season. Me thinks he won’t get more than 5 this season (at a push).

Gallagher is useless. Two league goals is pathetic for any striker who has played as much as him and who is undoubtedly paid as much as him. No better than Brereton. They won't get five goals between them all season. He was crap last time and he's still crap now. 

442 with two target men is useless with no genuine width, and two slow, out of position full backs. How can he not see this. And the clear fact that Buckley is not a wide midfield player. He's slow and lightweight and I'm sorry to say is more Sergio Peter than Damien Duff. Fed up with Mowbray, fed up with the team. Fed up with garbage performances in front of big away followings. Fed up with strikers with pitiful goal threats and returns. Fed up with acceptance of mediocrity, fed up with garbage full backs. Just fed up.

Great pass from Bennett for their winner. And Travis was half asleep. Great to see Gallagher looking so threatening again. Useless. And Buckley looked like the ball boy was playing. Think we'll sink like a stone now. The Mowbray way. One step forward, two back. So frustrating it is untrue. 

8 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

He's playing shite. Looks slow on the ball, second touch usually means the opposition is on him. The tactics were all over the place today,but players need to take responsibility for their own performance. The manager cant pass the ball for them. I think you are over stating how much of an "attacking force" he was too. I think he was built up too much to be fair. 

Agree completely. He's not that good and playing poorly. Doesn't score enough or create enough. Pretty much like the rest of out midfielders for the last seven years. Fits in well.

Need a left back. Bell is garbage and Downing's wasted there. When's Butterworth back? He's the nearest thing we've got to Dack in the squad.

Gallagher is never a £5 million striker, even in these days of inflated fees. Three goals in half a season is pitiful, even if he has been shunted on the wing. He's just not threatening or dangerous, doesn't seem to get in positions to score and wins very little in the air for a tall player. I feel without dack and a new striker, which will never happen, the goals will dry up. The fact we could only muster a penalty against the weakest side I've seen at Ewood in years, in Birmingham, highlights this. I'd give him a 3. 

2 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

I agree with both points. It’s nigh on two years since Chapman put in a few brief cameo League One appearances. I’m not sure why a run of mostly ineffective U23 appearances should get him anywhere near a team with top 6 Championship aspirations. I also thought Holtby was gash on Thursday. A player with his pedigree should be running the game at this level, wherever his is asked to play. 

Completely agree. Holtby's not a winger but with his supposed class, he should be bossing it, especially against poor opposition like Thursday. He looked slow and lightweight to me.

Today's line up away from home would've been acceptable. At home against a struggling team it wasn't. No width, full backs who get forward but have no end product. It's really frustrating from Mowbray. Birmingham were garbage and we should've had enough to beat them.

30 minutes ago, LDRover said:

Blimey, I know it's Christmas but that's shocking behaviour from a so called professional.

That's some gentle comedy there.

Walton: played well.

Nyambe: worked hard, solid but can't cross a ball and therefore was/is no real attacking threat.

Lenihan and Williams: solid enough but against the most toothless and poor side I've seen at Ewood in a while. 

Bell: cost us the game. Would rather have Bruno Berner back and he was terrible. No attacking threat, constantly stops attacks by losing the ball and should never play again. 

Holtby: never a winger in a 442 at home. Wasted.

Johnson: solid enough but no attacking threat today. 

Bennett: not good enough. Not a central midfielder, not a right back.   Should be on the bench and be glad of that.

Buckley: never a left sided midfielder. Got something but was slow and lightweight. The one time he beat a man his cross was dreadful. Top players are dominating games even at his age and he didn't.

Gallagher: about as threatening as a kitten. £5 million and not a home goal in first half of season says it all. Won about two headers all game. Not great at hold up play. Not impressed. One of those great non scoring strikers that we like to stockpile. 

Armstrong: tried hard and thought he was best of a bad bunch. The only goal threat on the pitch until Graham. 

Another wasted opportunity to assert ourselves against garbage opposition which they were. No way we are getting near playoffs without our best player. Play your strongest team Tony and stop trying to please everyone. Back to square one.