I genuinely do not believe that we have too many midfielders. There’s very little repetition in the group and most do very different things which give us options. Where there is repetition in skill sets, like Smallwood, Evans, Johnson and Travis who are all combative and deep lying then You can see obvious prioritisation from the manager (BJ / LT) with a rotation option from CE and complete removal of RS. Buckley, Downing, Holtby and Rothwell can play deep lying If we go to a three OR play in the advanced positions with Dack and Armstrong etc. Preston are decent and have been building in the Championship for several years. Yes, In our first season back in the league they beat us twice and finished marginally above us. But I’m confident that the extra years experience of our young squad, new signings, emergence of the likes of Travis and Buckley as well as the investment in technology etc will see us finish this season comfortably above them. They’re still two or three key injuries away from that terrible form from the start of last season. Individual games are always subjective to form, injuries etc. I know something, I’d back our best team against theirs even now.

They’ve had several consecutive seasons in the championship and have a decent base. But we did finish just behind them in our first season in the only metric that matters. The league. Based on the trajectory of both clubs and squad depth / quality I fully expect us to finish above them.

Come back to me when those suspensions and injuries start coming in. Or speak to the Preston fans who are acutely aware of how precarious their squad is in terms of numbers ??

The hype around Preston is funny. The press are all over it too. “Preston are on an amazing run” “They were brilliant last season and they’ll be even better this season”. It’s just hype. Jeez, they finished just above us in our first season back and I’m pretty confident that once the injuries and suspensions hit in Nov / Dec we will be above them for the rest of the season.

The team is picked to win games and we won both matches ffs!! ? Preston play the the same team every week because they have nothing behind the first XI. They couldn’t dream of having the quality of Nyambe, Johnson, Buckley, Holtby and Graham sat waiting to come on with Tosin and Rothwell sat out of the 18. Not to mention Chapman, BB, JRC etc to be integrated. This notion of playing the same team every week is completely outdated. You only have to look at every successful team in the last two years to see that other than a core of 6/7, rotation is pretty normal now. It’s based on the idea that you increase the overall squad quality, then there isn’t a dip in performance regardless of who plays. It also prevents injury and keeps people fresh.

I think it prob needs re-naming mate. “Mowbray out” cannot be on the mind of any Rovers fan.

Absolutely fantastic result. A game we won with Johnson, Holtby and Graham starting on the bench....

Can’t believe this thread is still a thing tbh. How on earth could someone justify sacking the manager?

Hill and Flitcroft in. Happy for them!

It’s complete bullshit tbh mate. Whatever can be rightfully levelled at Mowbray, I have literally NEVER heard anyone in football refer to anything other than how thoroughly decent the guy is. The drivel that spews out “you can just see Joe Rothwell doesn’t like him” the crap about Joe Nuttall being “let down” by him etc...if only they knew the truth. How much respect both have for the manager. In fact how much the group suffer if they think they’re letting him down. Are his tactics always great? Does he sign brilliant players everytime? Nope. The biggest criticism which stands mutually between here and and the club is that, if anything, TM is too loyal. The annaihilation of the manager by some on here is embarrassing.

Mowbrays never played wingers at Rovers. We’ve scored plenty of goals. The problem at the moment is that they are changing the style. Sheff Utd was the best example of this but ultimately they know they have to win games and so it’s easy to revert back to diags into DG which is proven to work...

Interesting. So what’s your take on Mowbray? You say his mask has slipped. What do you think is underneath the mask?

Do tell us how it should be pal? You seem very knowledgeable...

A good, solid, professional performance and a team set up to beat Cardiff. The defence was well protected but the team and the manager were let down in the final third all game. Graham had two chances in the first half. Second half chances fell to Johnson and Williams as well as a couple of half chances to the likes of Downing. Dack is completely off the boil. That’s our biggest problem at the moment.

Pretty sure he’ll play three at the back to counter the aerial assault. With Benno and one of Bell or Hart as wingbacks. A midfield three of Downing, Johnson and Travis and Dack off Graham. Bench - Leut, Nyambe, Evans, Rothwell, Arma, Gally * Id personally play Downing lwb, Dack in the midfield three and see how much trouble Gally and DG can create.

This ????

Agree 100%. The perfornance wasn’t perfect but it was exactly what the manager has been talking about wanting to do for two years. “Let’s go there, get on the front foot and cause them some problems” The summer signings in general have been fantastic and a massive improvement. The only question mark at the moment is Gallagher but the margins with strikers are so slim. He had two chances against Charlton and a header just past the post vs Fulham. If one of those goes in then the next one does too and that header across the box last night is aimed into the top corner. Personally I’d stop playing him on the right and set up a straight dual with DG for that top spot. I think Gally will be a top top player for Rovers. Note - I can see why TM doesn’t play DG away from home. Literally looks like a different player! Non existent when he came on. Weird.

This is a great point. We made our own luck tonight by going away and being in the front foot. Every credit!

Great point. That triangle of Cunningham, Johnson and Downing is brilliant. I’d like to see Nyambe, Travis and Rothwell on the right.

Fantastic away performance! On the front foot and got exactly what we deserved. Del and Downing the best players on the pitch. Walton, Cunningham and Johnson massive improvents on what we had last season! ??

Me too but ultimately he’s 34 and cannot play every game. Moreover his record away from home is usually pretty poor.

The sensible thing to do would be to rotate Graham for Armstrong, put him on the right and a Gally up top.

I know I’ve already showed my hand with Gallagher but as I’d boycotted the whole of Coyles reign I hadn’t seen anything of him - I love the guy. Wins headers, good feet, quick and works as hard as anyone I’ve seen for Rovers. The goals will come too. Was close to a couple yesterday. Fabulous addition!

The subs were bang on. How they set up after them was baffling...

It was a poor match overall in terms of quality. Higlights - Walton is more commanding than Raya, Cunningham, Williams and Lenihan looked like a defensive unit, Travis and Johnson a mahoooosive upgrade on last seasons Smallwood and Evans and I’m a little bit in love with Sam Gallaghers desire to play for Rovers! Lowlights - Bennett deteriorating, forwards working hard but not creating much, Mowbrays move to sub DG and not put SG up top and AA on the right was baffling and invited pressure. Overall - A big step forward. Get Nyambe in at RB and keep the back 7 (keeper defence plus Johnson and Travis) steady and we’ll be much harder to beat. I think he set the team up right yesterday. But why he didn’t just put Rothwell and Armstrong on at 70 mins for DG and SD and just counter attack in the wide areas with SG down the middle is beyond me. Interesting - Buckley for Dack who looked unimpressed. I liked it. Put a shot across Dacks bowes. Feels a bit too comfortable for him at times.