Chapman and Mr Gibraltar.

Also, the post about Dack being an asset in our pocket regarding FFP is bang on. Not many teams know that they can likely spend £20m+ in the next 2 windows yet still be in profit if they chose to or need to sell one player. The likes of Travis, Armstrong, Raya, Lenihan, Rodwell*, Dack and Nyambe could all net us close to £50m if we ever needed the money to balance the (rules that only apply to a few teams). £9m on Assombalonga and money again on a Harrison Reed, Luke Freeman or whoever is worth it when you know you could possibly get £20-£30m for Dack alone down the line in case of emergency. Penny seems to have dropped after 9 years. ?

What an unexpected read that all was... Britt Assombalonga is straight out of Football Manager fiction and i love it. That would be a sensational deal if his Wikipedia page is accurate ? - Loan with an "option". Gives us a genuine quality striker to go with Graham, and allows Nuttall the chance to go down to L1 on loan where hand on heart we all know he needs to be right now. Also offers up all options regarding Brereton too. After 4 wins in a row we know we will be in the championship or Premier League next season. So our budget and aspirations look to reflect that. This all just got a lot more interesting.

Hull played like the team I thought They were 10 games ago... but we would have beat any team in the league today the way we pressed and played. There was one moment in the first half where we had FIVE players swarm on their left back and win the ball. Love this high pressing, long may it continue. I said at the time, in the midst of all the anger at him, but just think how worse of as a team we would be if Smallwood would have stayed on the pitch at Sheffield United. Turning point of the season that red card. Travis and Reed are our best CMs we have had since N'zonzi and Jermaine Jones. Did anyone else see TM with the thumbs up when the fans were singing "sign him up" after Reeds goal. ?

I'm of the view that you can't state that the likes of Williams, Smallwood, Downing, Samuel, Gladwin, Caddis and Whittingham etc are no way good enough... yet be concerned or unhappy due to "lack of depth" upon their departure. If they are clearly not good enough for our current team/league position, get rid. Maybe one of our youth team players is actually (far) better and just waiting for a chance to move up the queue... Travis, Raya, Nyambe or Smallwood, Steele, Caddis? We aren't going down, so now would be the perfect time to get rid of as many "deadwoods" (regardless of their previous contributions), and see if we have any other Lewis Travis type potential in our club already that we can test out in the result of a major injury blitz some people expect and fear so badly. If we have to blood another Jay McEveley, Grant Hanley or Phil Jones instead of playing a Downing or Williams for 10 games, would anyone really be unhappy if they are the difference between us finishing 9th or 12th? Thanks Paul, really nice bloke and honest pro, hope he does great at Donny.

I'm hopeful it was already part of his original deal. The club just chose not to advertise it for 'fallout' reasons, as he wasn't the most popular player in football. Say he signed a £5k a week contract for 18/19, but the club had a 2 year £10k+ option written in if he was successful. It would make no sense to take such a risk - even a relatively cheap one - on a player with his pedigree without an option of securing him IF he were a success. Last thing we want is to turn around his reputation for an 8 month "loan" and then lose him for free.

Positive... There is only 10 minutes of normal time left of this game?

That was minging. However, could TM be realising that in our games nothing happens for the first hour so he can bring Armstrong, Graham and Rothwell on then and......... We concede ?

Every so often you get reminded how bang average our 'squad' is.

Some "BIG" clubs in Birmingham, didn't you know? Hanley, Gallagher, Chapman, now Marshall mentioned in the "Ex player returning" sweepstakes... out of interest who would people actually be universally happy to have back from our exes of recent years who are even 50% attainable. For me I would say Gestede. But I'm sure many would disagree due to possible attitude issues he may have had in January before we sold him. ... and Martin Olsson??

Correct, being ITK (even every so slightly) and being allowed to talk about every passing comment freely on message boards are unfortunately not the same thing. For example, I heard for a very good ITK source that Sam Gallagher was "being signed as we speak" in the last window... clearly he didn't. For what it's worth I feel it makes sense to wait until nearer deadline day for our targets (if they are targets still) such as Bauer, Chapman etc... as these players are out of contract and that deadline is their clubs last chance to get any money for them. Better loan players could become available closer to the deadline too as bigger clubs may make their own signings forcing a player out on loan. In 2017 we loaned Jack Bryne from Man City and 2 weeks later Aaron Mooy became available...

So wait, are we signing Brereton and Armstrong? ??? Because that's all I've just read about for 17 pages.... front and back!

A positive performance. Unlucky not to have scored 4 goals. They had their chances too and the pen is one of those things. I feel we have a very strong 8 and a couple of serviceable players but are now crying out for a week in week out wide player. Raya, Nyambe, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Travis, Reed, Dack and Graham deserve to play every week now for me. Bennett has a role (not at right back!) and Bell is probably the starting left back (for now). Armstong continues to be a 1 good game in 4 type, and we all know Rothwell doesn't start. Go all out to keep Reed and see if we can find a 90 minute winger from somewhere - can anyone name a realistic LB worth chasing? No more Smallwood or Williams. Please.

Which players do people realistically see out the door this month? Hoping there is L1 interest for the likes of Williams and Smallwood as I feel they have past their use by dates with us. A new Left back becoming the priority. Gladwin with his injuries will be tough to shift until June. Maybe Downing out if we could get Bauer in? Nuttall, Tomlinson and a few other U23's should be loaned out... 7 days ago I would have included Travis in that but now he has shown he is too valuable and far better than Smalls. *Finally, hearing Raya to Celtic or Brighton for £5m. Unbelievable!*

Before today we had conceded 65% of our goals after the 60th minute. 24/37. Now that's up to 27/40 at 67.5%. 0-60mins: 0.52 Goals per game 61-90+mins: 1.08 Goals per game Debate Q: How can a team play 25 matches conceding only 13 goals in the first hour, concede more than double in half the amount of time after? Unfortunately when you break it down like that, the answer is probably the managers subs and 'tactical' changes...

If this game finally spells the end of Smallwood as a starter for our club then I'll take the defeat we all expected two hours ago. The shambolic nature of the red even more so appreciated. I've felt its needed a Smallwood straight red for 12 months as it seemed like the only way to get a break from him... and for him to so obviously cost us a game just makes it more apparent. I will hold my hands up and say he's done okay over the past couple of months but he is so clearly behind almost all of other midfield options. Give me any of Reed, Evans, Travis, Rodwell, Bennett, Rothwell, Dack, Davenport, Mulgrew or Lenihan in there ahead of him. Look ahead to our next 6 fixtures after WBA... Millwall, Ipswich, Hull, Brentford, Reading and Bristol City... Very big matches for us and Mowbray. Win enough of them and it's mid table the rest of the way... struggle and we'll be deep in the battle. Happy Xmas and New Year.

Damn red button being 90 seconds behind... I couldn't even get on and put a Leeds win on at 50-1 as soon as Charlie scored before we were behind. Only Blackburn can throw away a 'comfortable' 1-1 into a defeat by scoring in the 90th minute! ??? laugh people. Laugh.

I've been saying for 2 years that Derrick Williams is the worst finisher in world football within the six yard box... shut me up, didn't he!

You can praise TM to all that will listen for our turn around the past 20 months and, like Bowyer, we'll (the majority) always be grateful... but the fact remains you could count the games we've genuinely played 'well' in for over 65 minutes on 1 hand, with probably a finger to spare, in that time period. That's around 4 games out of 80, imo. Obviously we have to be careful what we wish for ie potential sacking the manager (at some point) but I guarantee there aren't many other managers out there who would persist with these debacles of 5 at the back, false 9's, Smallwood and Williams, 6 CM's (by trade) in the same starting 11 and a £7m 'Striker on the bench/right wing. Harrison Reed is our best CM, Smallwood is probably 8th. Let's start there on Saturday. Sheffield Wednesday is now huge for TM as these past two games we look like a team that's fed up with the current tactics and management.

Genuine challenge for fans of all ages... Recall back to back performances (and results) worse than these last two. I'd thought straight away of WBA/Bolton December 2011... but even then we battled and lost 2-1 in each... Scott Dann even ruptured a testicle for us scoring a goal. 32 years old and I'm genuinely struggling.

Who's gonna be the first to brave the individual player ratings after that... Mowbray needs to man up and take the blame for once... the players come out and apologise often enough when the blame is continuously more often than not fully at the managers door step. Now, he is on thin ice for me. Fans are turning.

I'd be handing in a transfer request soon if I were Rothwell. This is worse than Preston.

Made the "joke" after Preston that last year was the 5-3-2 debacle and this year was the no strikers joke... Tony had a dream... The dream has been realised here. Laugh, before you cry.

Wouldn't say thin ice, but I've had a but feeling since before the season that he doesn't make it throughout the season. No first half goals in 66% of matches Smallwood first name on the team sheet Shit scared of every opponent we face Average of 1 completed pass per 30 seconds. Subbing DG for Williams when 1-0 down. Wow.

Woeful. Yet again. 3-0 Would be fair. 95 completed passes in 45 minutes!! Let that sink in... 95 passes. Also, wake me up when win a meaningful header! Gutted for the fans that have bought tickets for these last 2 away games. Where is the passion!