Maja also, more recently, scored 3 in the Prem if I remember rightly.

Reliable for the opposition.

I would want 4 cbs vying for 2 spots. We have 3 spots, and one of our 4 CBs is incredibly injury prone. We should have at least 5 CBs really for 3 spots. You normally want 2 players for each position, but I think 5 for 3 spots would be fine. I don't see us signing another CB just to be cover though, so I think sending Carter off was a mistake. And I wouldn't really be happy with Johnson and Nyambe, nor Magloire, for emergency cover.

All I want to hear is that we are looking for a solid backup keeper. But after that I agree midfield would be the next priority. And a Buckley/Rothwell type replacement. Someone else said Travis, but his backup is Davenport who I'd say is adequate short term. And when Pickering is back there is also Edun. Buckley and Rothwell, we have no like for like. We have Johnson, who I don't trust on the pitch, and then you're talking maybe putting Dack back there and hoping he stays fit and regains his form. It's not really adequate. Up top is more than covered, no matter how much people want to see a third tall striker who isn't Gallagher.

Of which there are examples of it not being necessary. It's like insisting on a 4-4-2. That's tried and trusted at all levels of football too, but it's also not the only route to success. When Markanday comes in we have more than enough players for the front 2. Priority should be CM cover/competition and backup GK.

Honestly speaking, I find the insistence that you must have a big man, little man combo (which is essentially what's being said here) very outdated.

I'd be a bit interested in Cardiff backup Dillon Phillips. Think he has played about 10 games there.

Wow, there were some really harsh comments in this thread not so long ago! I'm not saying that just with hindsight either. He's not a perfect player but I've never questioned he is one we should keep at the club. We have always been much poorer when he is unavailable. Form of his life right now though for sure.

I'd probably look for one who already is a sub GK elsewhere. If on a perm, tell them our main man has had a few niggles this season and they could get a few matches. Give them large appearance and clean sheet bonuses. Or loan someone from a Prem or Championship team that isn't playing and has an ever-present in front of them who never gets injuries. Must be a few decent first choice keepers in League One who wouldn't cost the earth too, and would be happy just to get to a higher league with better money. Maybe someone at the later end of their career if necessary. It wouldn't be difficult to improve on what we have seen from Pears. Wigan had their backup keeper on the pitch I think, and he didn't play as badly. Hell even Leutwiler was better than this kid has been thus far. On top of which it would let us send Pears out on loan, if anyone will still have him. Since we still have him under contract for 2 years after this summer, and spent a few hundred k on him, we might as well get some games in him and save a little of his wage, and hope he develops confidence and ability with a run in a team somewhere. He was Boro number one for a while so it's disappointing he has been this poor but he really has been. We just can't hinge our season on him not having more Wigan performances if called upon.

Nah, he was already talking about loaning him out back in December. Then Kaminski got injured and Pears did ok for a few games, albeit rarely tested. The Wigan game surely must have undone that. If we throw away promotion because we failed to bring in a solid backup keeper and Kaminski got injured, I'm going to be absolutely furious.

I see where you're coming from, but it still matters. An individual throw in is usually less important than an individual free kick or corner, but you get more of them. A badly defended throw-in can be as deadly as a badly-defended free kick or corner. A well-taken one can lead to goals too, as Stoke and other sides have shown from the long throws over the years, and even short ones with good movement can create chances. You say just get the ball back in play, but that's part of our problem, we don't. There's so little movement that our throw ins slow our momentum as the taker has to wait for someone to look like they give a shit. The main thing though is that it wouldn't be difficult to improve on what we're doing. It's basic stuff we get wrong with them, any decent coach should be able to improve it with a couple of sessions I would think.

Seems to be a part of the game we just don't regard as important, but it's weird, because every part of the game is important. It's not entirely surprising in the first team, because Mowbray has been quoted in the press before as basically saying he doesn't work on set pieces. But it's surprising to hear that nonchalance is endemic to the whole club, even just on the throw-in portion of them. We seem to have improved at taking (a bit) and especially in defending set pieces since then, maybe throw-ins will be on the agenda at some point...

Good point, he should be able to add something to our network. I wouldn't expect it to be as much just from him as our entire network we took so long to make, but hopefully he has added a good 20% or so to our contacts, as he certainly used to delve into the European market a bit with Celtic. We shouldn't assume everyone we sign or target is solely due to him though. Then again we shouldn't assume every win or defeat is down to the manager, but we tend to. In both cases, they're the heads of larger teams. Although of course, they're the most key members of those teams by virtue of making the decisions.

Yeh we are crap at throw ins in general and have been for years. But it's mostly down to poor movement. When the opposition have them, we give them too much space (less so recently) and when we have them nobody gets into space. It's why it takes Nyambe 5 days to take a throw in.

Something to be said for this. Finally fielding a settled team has been instrumental in our run of form. But eventually it can make things go stale. Might be time to shake the apple cart a little. Not sure where though..obviously Zeefuik should play the game Nyambe misses. I'd probably say...Khadra? I get the feeling being benched would make him really hungry. Although in truth the main problem was probably in the middle three. And Davenport has been steady enough when called upon, so maybe him for Travis, who played a terrible pass straight to the opposition in the second half, with no need to play it near them.

I'd imagine he's mostly using our European scouting network that took us about 2 years to establish. His expertise will come in after, in deciding which of them we should go for.

Nice fixture pileup coming for Burnley. Played less games than anyone else in the league, 5 less than some. Should result in a lot of their opponents being fresher during that run. Good times. Like CLB said though, it's ridiculous they've only won one all season, and played so few games, yet just one win could take them out of the zone. Most seasons I'm sure you'd be considered already relegated with 11 points in mid-Jan.

Yeh I did consider after posting that they can't keep winning either. Didn't realise how many were late ones though. Problem is I look at their next run of games and their current form and it all looks perfectly winnable. Maybe they're looking at ours thinking the same. I want to see us start putting more daylight between teams just below us though, and particularly between us and 7th. Could really do to build that gap whilst we're in form, because almost nobody stays in form all season.

Fair enough, if he is quick then he would seem more suited to his we play now. That article does conclude that he is a limited player though, and seems to imply the team needs to be tailored to creating chances for him, which was the downside to Rhodes. If he can replicate the goals tallies at a higher level though, it might be worth some adjustment. I still have more interest in Maja at the moment. Ideally on a loan to buy so we can see what we are getting.

QPR fast becoming a problem. If they win their spare game they're only 2 behind us. Need them to have a wobble because we can't keep winning every week.

I think some people have a downer on him already tbh. Think he will have to play out of his skin to win some of them over. A lot of confirmation bias from Rovers fans I've noticed (I'm sure I'm guilty of it on occasion too, though I try not to be). If they think a player is class they forgive the mistakes, if they think he's shite they ignore the moments of quality.

Lord above, why does any expression of scepticism, no matter how much you clearly caveat it, have to be construed as 'writing him off'? People need to cut that shit out, it's a messageboard for expressing opinions. It's already boring having to clarify every time that this is 'I've not seen him and am just going off what I've heard', without still getting collared even when you do!! If I'd said he is dogshit, not good enough etc then fine, but come on. Compared to Vardy, why? I haven't heard anything about him having electric pace. The opposite if I remember rightly.

Mitrovic hat-trick in just the first half against Bristol takes him to 27 for the season. In most seasons (most recently the 19/20 season, where the top scorer was...er, Mitrovic) that would be enough to finish as top scorer without any more goals. It's only mid-January!! That's just ludicrous. The top scorer in 17/18 only got 21. 20/21 - 33 goals 19/20 - 26 goals 18/19 - 29 goals 17/18 - 21 goals 16/17 - 27 goals 15/16 - 25 goals 14/15 - 27 goals It's outrageous that he has levelled or beaten most of those seasonal records by 15th January. If he doesn't finish with at least 40 I'll be stunned (or he'll have been injured).

I'd rather get a few seasons out of her...

Unreal to see Bristol beating Fulham at the cottage, after they just mauled Reading away. Probably won't last, but great for now! If they do somehow lose I will have to conclude that winning 7-0 away is the worst thing you can do.