I was just thinking who do we have that would be a danger at corners if we got no Lenihan, Mulgrew or Graham....then they go and score from one.

Not really, possession stats are 52% to 48% in their favor but then i am just nitpicking.

Is anyone playing in their optimum position today? Defensive winger playing as attacking midfielder when we have an attacking midfielder playing on the wing. Another attacking midfielder is up front, a left back is playing CB, a CM is our other CB while we have a RM/CM at RB.

Still thinking this could even be 3 at the back. Heck, we dont know for sure who is playing up top - might be Bennett, he has played just about everywhere else to be fair. WBA are playing 3-4-1-2 apparently.

Funnily enough the player that Dack says he models his game on.

Dack has never been a striker his entire career, attacking midfielder yes, striker , no. I am not sure I agree with the last sentence either, Graham has been more important to the team in recent matches especially considering our other strikers are seemingly not trusted enough to be able to play up top. Dack has also been quiet the last few matches.

Not a striker though - a number 10.

Better keep it on the floor then, long hopeless balls up to the top are going to be bread and butter, even for their defense.

Dack Conway Palmer Reed/Rothwell Smallwood Reed/Rothwell Williams Mulgrew Rodwell Bennett Raya Is my guess. How many changes is that from the last game? No out and out striker? Adopting the Barca model of years gone by? Evans, Bell, Armstrong, Graham dropped/rested. Could also be : Dack Palmer Rothwell Conway Smallwood Reed Bennett Williams Mulgrew Rodwell Raya

Figure than one out

Their fans think they have a soft midfield and cowardly defense - If Wigan played them off the park not so long ago, we should certainly be able to give them a game. We seem to perform better away too. Not confident of anything but you never know in this league.

Would certainly be a popular choice with their fans. Could you imagine it though? If WBA are already showing an interest in Dack, you would imagine this would intensify. Also, TM would probably also come in for a few of our others too.

TM has more than earned a shot to continue what he is building - we have progressed under him each season even if we did initially go down. You cannot really put that on his shoulders as the points we picked up under him in the Championship last time would have had us midtable over the course of an entire season. On top of that we were relegated with the highest points total in a decade and even then was only on goal difference. He also had to work with the the dross that he had inherited from Coyle and try to get his ways of doing things across extremely quickly. We can only judge him on how we now move forward and right now I think he has done very well to have us where we are, just a few points out of the playoffs at this stage of the season. Most of us (myself included) at the start of the season, would have just been happy to avoid relegation this season and consolidate, so to be even talking about higher aspirations means he is exceeding expectations for most of us so far this season. Sure, many would disagree with some of his lineups, tactics, defense first mentality, substitutions, transfers, hatred of wingers and playing players out of position but I am pretty sure you would see the same on any messageboard up and down the country. At the end of the day, he has got the club moving forward, has managed to get the V's to open their chequebook and the players we have are collectively the hardest working bunch we have had for a long time with a never die attitude that seem to want to play for the shirt. it has been many years since we have been able to say that. Would you gamble all of that right now in the hope that those above him could pull off getting someone better?

Their lot sound about as confident as we do. http://westbrom.com/forum/index.php?topic=22419.0 http://wbaunofficial.org.uk/showthread.php?tid=18493

He likes one of the three behind to be a .5 as he says - so expect one of Bennett or Reed there. Be pleased to be proven wrong though. Also agree it might be a game where he rests DG and goes with AA up front.

What irks a little is that people keep complaining that some fans are writing off BB - which is not the case apart from maybe one or two. He needs patience, he needs to get used to the area, TM's way of doing things blah, blah, blah. Sure, most understand that and this is not the issue. The issue is not BB so much just the fact that he is being played out of position. I have not judged BB at all - simply because we have not yet seen him play his proper position. I just do not understand playing him on the wing when he is obviously not suited there and we have players like Rothwell and Palmer who have performed better there not getting a look in. Not sure why TM prefers even Dack up front to BB when that also comes at the double cost of losing Dack in his best position as well.

Agree, just cannot see him putting out a side like that as much as I would like him too. Give Dack, Palmer and Rothwell license to cause them problems and they would certainly have something to think about. it will be more like this: Raya Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Bell Reed/Bennett Evans/Smallwood Reed/Bennett Dack Armstrong Graham Also, on a side note, having seen Rodwell both in CM and at CB, I can see why previous managers have played him in CM rather than at the back despite the fact he feels he is a better player in that position. He isn't. Sure, he can play there and is a decent option as cover but he is a far better CM.

We all want the same and are all have Rovers in the heart, just that we will all have different opinions. TM has done a great job, I dont think anyone is really disputing that - just questioning this transfer and the way he has been utilising the lad since he has arrived. Do not really think it is stick as such, just that many are confused with it all. If BB bangs in a hat trick against WBA playing up front though - i think everyone will be happy.

When did anybody say you shouldn't be saying positive comments? Who has shouted you down? people disagreeing with your comments is not shouting down, its debate and what a messageboard is all about.

I can see some changes but I cannot see both Rothwell and Palmer starting in the same match, even one of them starting would surprise me as neither have for a while. Not sure he will put Williams in either, seems he has now decided that Bell is his leftback and I think he has been getting better the more he has played so think I agree with that. Be nice to have Nyambe back though.

Try saying that 10 times really quickly.

Like it but not gonna happen unfortunately.

Kean said he didnt own a dog and I still do not believe him. Hasta is spot on that just because TM has not come out and publicly admitted he has been disappointed so far with BB, it does not mean that he isnt. Then again, even if TM were I would place that responsibility on him anyway rather than the kid. Playing him out of position and then even putting an attacking midfielder up front instead of him when Graham goes off is hardly going to increase the lads confidence. TM rightfully gets the plaudits for what he has done to turn around this club but this transfer really baffles me. Was he signed as a striker? If not, why didn't we get one in. Was he signed for the wing? if so, this is obviously not BB's best position and he has so far looked pretty ordinary there. At the end of last season it was widely accepted on here that we should be looking for a successor/backup to Graham now as he is not getting any younger and usually lasts an hour only - let alone, god forbid that he gets injured. Somebody that could have shared the workload with Graham this season and possibly the next before taking that role for himself when DGs legs finally do give up for good. If BB was not signed for that purpose, it means we will have to go looking for another and we know strikers of his quality do not come cheap and with the rate values are increasing year on year, they will be even more expensive.

I was going by perms which is 7 to 6 (which could change depending on how BB and Davenport perform going forward)

Is he still managing in the footballing crazy nation of Brunei? I would find out myself but cannt bring myself to type his name into Google for fear of seeing his ugly mug again.