Danny Graham at Accrington showed that a proper pro takes every opportunity to fight for his place.

I was hoping for 3-5-2 today. It’s ridiculous having Tosin and Holtby on the bench when they have more quality than the 11 ahead of them.

By digging do you mean pointing out the logical inconsistencies of the prevailing wisdom on here? Every manager has a worst transfer. Personally, I’m happy that this manager has hardly played his.

Given that most on here think Mowbray is rubbish in the transfer market then surely, if he hadn’t bought Brereton, he’d have wasted it on whoever he bought instead? Or, if the belief is that he would’ve spent it wisely, then that makes Brereton an aberration of an otherwise astute manager?

The bit I don’t get is why everyone is so upset that our billionaire owners are down £7 million. It’s their money, not ours. Danny Graham did the business last year and they’ve rustled up another £5 million to buy someone else. Brereton being here hasn’t hurt us in any way as far as I can see.

The big difference between the two is crossing. I’ve never seen Nyambe contribute to a goal (at their end) whereas Bennett has put in some good crosses this season - leading to Williams piledrive and Graham’s penalty, plus a couple of headers Gallagher should have put away.

Jan was the high water mark for a mid-table team. We didn’t win one out of the next 11 because we were missing Boro’s striker. We are in far better shape this year to be realistic top 6 challengers

If it is indeed the second FA Cup stolen from a Birmingham shop window, I can reveal (according to family lore on my wife’s side - Small Heath Brummies) that it was stolen by my father-in-law’s uncle plus other Peaky Blinder types and melted down to make into Half-crowns (quite a few of them worked in the Jewellery Quarter, as did my pa-in-law). Such was the furore after they nicked it, they abandoned the plan after making a handful of coins and did the equivalent of throwing the evidence into the cut.

I’d hope so, it’s Luton at home so we should be looking to score a hatful

After all the airplay 17 pts. from 19 games got, 26 from 14 is his current run rate, promotion form if maintained.

H/T Mowbray 1 Everyone Else 0 Whodathunk Evans would be player of the half and Arma score a belter. Been on top so far; Walton spent the half in his deckchair.

Evans has to perform today for sure given the midfield talent on the bench. Tony’s fascination with keep playing Armstrong is the only selection that really bothers me. Am I the only person to find the demand that we have two equally good, first-team ready players for each position and that Tony pick the same team week after week to be logically incompatible in this day and age?

I too am very concerned that the bloke who has played for Spurs, Hamburg and Germany could well turn out to be another Brereton, and it’ll be a disgrace if we don’t transfer out all the deadwood while the transfer window is closed.

Never heard of him but liking what I’m hearing. If what Mowbray says is true that the Recruiting dept raised his name during the window, it shows to be what a nightmare it must be juggling transfer priorities. I can well imagine the last minute push for Reed was a reaction to them deciding they weren’t going to get this guy. Reed doesn’t come, then this guy turns down other offers, now he’s ours and no-one is saying “Wish we had Reed instead.” I make that six first-teamers now signed since last season. The one thing we won’t be doing is treading water.

Not quite horse’s mouth but certainly from the stable boy. Muddies the received wisdom on here that he was all set to sign for us, got mysteriously deselected and then took Cardiff as a consolation prize. Putting myself in his shoes: Venkys or Tan? Even Mowbray was getting calls from people in the game saying don’t take the Blackburn job. Warnock was at best stringing us along asking ridiculous money but had no intention of coming IMO.

Count yourself lucky, my prostate does me.

I have to say I didn’t see an 8 men defending, backs to the wall performance yesterday. Four players from those defensive 8 combined to create and score the first goal, with three of them in the top 15 yards of the pitch. Vintage Allardyce...!

Three essential points. 4th clean sheet for Walton (vs.Raya’s 2). No serious effort on goal by Millwall. Two memorably very good goals. Good day at the office.

Highlight other than the goal of the half was Johnson doing a McNamee on one of theirs with a belated ankle stomp. I’m liking this guy more and more.

Lucky? He called for it, Cunningham did a perfect lay-off and Williams hit it sweetly, exactly where he was aiming. Best Rovers goal for ages.

If coaching was the only difference between an indecisive flapping keeper with poor distribution and Gordon Banks, surely by now every keeper at big clubs would be unbeatable? Joe Hart enjoyed the best coaching for years and yet turned into a walking calamity. I suspect goalkeeping coaches do little more than arrange sessions, kick and throw the ball repeatedly at keepers, and do homework on opposition penalty takers, corners and free kicks.

We are in agreement Mark if I can prune a couple of the leaves off! Since the badged corner flag thing got gazumped by everyone else doing it, I think we should have something somewhere recognizing our three cups on the run (or six in total) Maybe above the badge like Germany have stars for World Cup wins

A step forward. Other than nostalgia - and that’s only from the last 30 years or so - I don’t get the love in with the current badge. If it was being put forward today it’d be trashed to high heaven. - Where is our defining feature of B+W halves? - That shade of blue around the rim we all hate on a shirt. - Yellow letters? Why? - And all that green shrubbery! For me it should be halves plus some visual reference to three cups on the run.

I suspect being shipped off to Wigan and the other two not getting a single minute of Championship action might just possibly be a result of their atrocious performances. They are no doubt all very happy that the manager didn’t mention them in his endless interviews.

I was led to believe by dozens of posts in another thread that these were “dead rubber games” that counted for absolutely nothing....