Think we've seen the results of that in our defence's performance on the pitch over the past four seasons! He's a manager who peaked well over a decade ago and while he'll probably keep us in the championship, it looks like that mid-table will be the best we can hope for. More likely, we'll slowly regress and be smack bang in a relegation battle sooner or later, rather than merely flirting with it as we did in 2018-19 and 2020-21 under his death spirals.

This was a decent point and against a wily old operator in Warnock. Despite not being the best side, and under the cosh at times, the fact that we did leave with something hints at a growing resilience which was completely absent in the second half of last season. I think Mowbray got his line-up right, but alas couldn't help by ruining it a little later, more of that in a moment. Man of the Match - I'm going to give this to Sam Gallagher, who was a nuisance throughout and earned us the point with his strike. He had some commanding runs as well, showing a turn of pace allied with strength and, you can tell that when he goes get moving that he worries the opposition. He's also a handful at other times. Even when his first touch goes awry (and it certainly happens quite a bit) then he's at least giving the opposition backline something to think about, keeps them on their toes and wears them out a little. As soon as Tactics Tony went into Blinkered Tony by putting him on the wing for the final half hour, we didn't look the same threat. MOTM was between him and Ayala, but I think Sam deserves it as, unlike him, he hasn't played Ayala out of position for years and generally done his incompetent best to undermine his confidence and understanding of his role as a footballer in our team. It doesn't matter how many times you tell a chicken that it's a eagle Tony, it's still gonna be chicken. Ayala = our player of the season so far, however, he's been a huge part of our resilience and new-found ability to grind out results. New Players - Poveda started well and looked lively, but again it's hard not to wonder what the point of Harry Chapman at Rovers is...he was sent on loan and did well, but still doesn't get a league start. Poveda waltzes in and is immediately on the wing. Why renew Chapman's contract? Why send him out on loan? Clarkson was weak and, again, makes one wonder why the likes of Butterworth and Davenport get so few chances, or if Buckley is deemed so highly then why not keep him in the team? He was certainly better when he came on. The two lads will no doubt improve, but by the time they're hitting their stride they'll be back at their clubs, who will gain from us developing them while our own kids while still be there, waiting and waiting for an opportunity. Neither look like another Harvey Elliot, to be honest. Tactics Tony Tony put Sam up front! Sam worried the opposition! Sam was a handful! Sam even scored a wonder goal, which to be fair none of us would have predicted. But we all would have predicted he'd cause more problems up there than a Dolan or a false nine, which he did! After being our most dangerous player, Tony moved him out to the wing! Is that one step forward and two steps back or two steps forward and one step back? Nobody ever knows with Tony, we do know he's not the quickest in seeing the obvious, but is he a bit slower or a bit quicker on the uptake than we think? We have a championship-standard striker in Gally, play him there. Not a top-quality standard player like an Armstrong, a Toney or even a Keiffer Moore, but he'll do the job and always be a handful. Keep playing him there Tony and stop screwing up his career like you're doing with Chapman. Nyambe a big loss We missed Nyambe badly and Carter was willing and tried hard, but his inexperience showed today. His first yellow was reckless and totally needless, meaning there was always a decent chance of a second. The second was a tiny bit harsh, but don't still be sticking your foot in the air like that when you're on a yellow. Overall Overall, we have to be happy with the result, even though the performance wasn't great. Ben got himself into some great positions, but his finishing was poor today and it looks like he could really benefit from his enforced rest over the international break. After his Copa America exploits, he's probably not had a moment to sit back and relax. As for result...we would have lost that last season, especially in the second half of the season. Determination is there and so is a willingness to dig deep. Ayala has been a big part of that and having a fit Travis is another aspect to it. Message to Tony: Football's not rocket science, so stop playing big lummox strikers on the wing and nippy wingers as target men. Decent start to the campaign, overall. I'm very much TM out, but he's obviously not going anywhere and we'll hear about his new "rolling" one-year-forever contract whenever they feel like telling us, but at least the toxic atmosphere around the club has started to lift. And that's, at least, something! COYB!

The goal... "It was just what Sam needed. Play him down the centre, not out wide, as a number 9." We can see it, Graham can see it. Gally'll be on the wing next game, and someone like Clarkson or Dolan will be in the middle. Tony'll just not accept the blindingly obvious on this, will he?

Unless he wants a winger that is!!!

Go on then, let's see this logic of yours in action. Please let us all know how the loans of Elliot, Douglas, Trybull, Harwood-Bellis and Branthwhaite have improved us. Considering the loan fees involved, the wages involved, the lack of continuity, the eradication of options for our own players, the lack of buying options and so on. Exactly how are we now in August 2021 better for having gone down that route rather than having bought a couple of players and given our own youngsters a shot? You say I make "no sense", so tell me what this "sense" is, please.

Getting double figures from open play would represent success for Armstrong consider the side he's playing for and the low fee. He's likely to get there or thereabouts. Che Adams cost about the same and hasn't hit the 10 goals in either of his two seasons, so it's a good target to aim for. Ings got 12 last year and went for more money at an older age than AA arrived for...

Chile really were desperate for a hero, weren't they? Brereton + 10 others for an international side as if he's the only players they give a damn about?!? Great stuff!

I'm sure Hughton would have us higher in the table than TM by the end of the season, but it'd be a dreary thing to watch!

Wharton had to wait ages...finally, he got a chance and hallelujah he was just fine. As if he wasn't ready until THAT EXACT MOMENT. Nobody's saying lob them in for every minute of every match, but do give them chances to integrate and gel. Loans have their place, but we've not always got the balance right, it feels.

Yes, yes I would. I thought he wasn't bad at all at times. Expect his wages were a bit much, though.

Unless one reckons depriving our OWN young players of opportunities to develop and impress is the way to go...give our own youngsters a chance, FFS.

Really hope that if they are loans coming in, that we have chance of actually making the signing permanent if they work out. Where do we get with 4-5 loans of Premier league teenagers, just so we can pay loan fees to develop them and pass back the improved products to the big clubs? Back to square one, that's where. Douglas and Trybull might no have worked out, but if they had then there'd have been at least a chance in signing them. Harvey Elliot? Liverpool got the lion's share of that arrangement.

We don't have many positives to take from yesterday so let's at least take that one! But yeah, their keeper was pants there...

The gulf is there because the manager's tactics take us there. We have two 6 foot lads on the wing and who exactly to aim for? Either Tyrhys Dolan or a false nine back on the halfway line! Back in Sam's day, Kalinic was hardly exactly Andre the Giant but he was big enough to make a nuisance of himself and allow our wingers someone to aim for. Danny Graham was nobody's idea of a battering ram but at least he was big enough to represent a target and willing enough to make his presence felt. What is he...is even over six foot? Regardless, he was big enough to put himself about. On Saturday, I swear I saw their two centre halves checking flights on the internet and organising their holidays. They definitely shared a bag of chips at one stage and belted out a few yawns. It was that much of a comfortable day at the office for them. Get Gally off the wing. Give him a run up front to prove himself or not. If he fails...at least we can't say our big £5 million target man hasn't been given enough chances.

Makes you wonder where Tony'd play a big lump when you have a 6'4" hugging-the-touchline Sam Gallagher on the wing while the likes of Chapman and Dolan can't get on the pitch.

Elliot's gonna be a fine player, he has the speed, the vision, the skill at 18 that make him stand out. Shame we didn't get him this year as he'd be a loan that would really improve the team, most of those in previous seasons have not.

It does feel like the right manager but at the wrong club and at the wrong time. Sometimes, despite his record in the championship, it just doesn't fit.

Yep, the Obafemi ship has long since sailed. We need a striker. Even if we bring nobody else in, a decent striker and target man would improve us immensely. We're crying out for one. We're gonna get nowhere in the long run this season with Dolan up front or the false nine experiment.

We're crying out for a centre forward, a target man. The issue with Gally and Ben out wide is that even if they're not having great games, even then they do have a moment or two each game where they do well or get lucky or the opposition make a mistake or whatever...BUT THE ISSUE IS that then there is NOTHING - nada! - NOBODY in the centre to aim for and nobody taking up the attention of a couple of their defenders. Dolan isn't the answer due to his height, Gally isn't the answer due to his skill levels probably but at least could make a nuisance of himself. It's clear that Tony doesn't envisage Breo doing that. So...either put Gally there or, better yet, get a centre forward in or our good start will soon seem like a distant memory. Tony's tactics make it too easy for the opposition's central defenders, we need a striker.

Even with Elliot and Armstrong last season we got outclassed time and again, hence why we finished so far away from the play offs. It'd take more than just those two return to make us competitive!

We have Mowbray Standards these days. Or, in a grim mood, Venkys Standards. They're all just different ways of saying Complete Shit.

Either that or stop playing him out of position...

Come on lads...we're ridden our luck all afternoon. now let's take an undeserved point!

No way we deserve anything from today, yet we're still in it. COYB!

He's made a number of quality saves. Second goal was not his fault. Fair play though, it's all opinions about some blokes kicking around a ball. Nowt more than that.